Chocolat, the female chimpanzee, was flown by DHL Express in a specially designed crate from Nairobi via Bahrain to the EMA and was cared for by a team of specialist animal keepers, aircraft engineers, cargo handlers, security personnel and pilots. Throughout the journey, Chocolat ate fresh fruit, nuts and sweet potatoes. From the airport, she was transported by road to her new home at Monkey World.
Chocolat’s family was hunted and killed as part of the illegal bushmeat trade in the Republic of Congo when she was just a toddler. She suffered shotgun injuries that paralyzed her hands and feet. She was rescued and cared for in Kenya for twenty years before finding her new home at Monkey World, where chimpanzees smuggled from the wild or suffering abuse or neglect receive specialized care.
To accommodate their needs, their new enclosure has been fitted with improvements such as lower platforms, new nesting areas and cargo nets, all designed to make Chocolat’s new home as accessible as possible. The 65-hectare sanctuary is home to over 230 primates from 25 different species, with Chocolat joining 52 other chimpanzees.
EMA Chief Executive Steve Griffiths said: “It is fantastic that East Midlands Airport has been able to help bring Chocolat the chimpanzee to her new home at Monkey World, where we hope she will spend the rest of her life happily.
“While transporting a chimpanzee on an aircraft is unusual, it shows what an important international hub East Midlands Airport is and the vital role it plays in connecting the UK to the world through its unrivalled freight traffic.”
Cain Moodie, EVP Network Operations for DHL Express in Europe, said: “It was an honour to facilitate the move of chimpanzee Chocolat to Monkey World. The logistics of her transport were quite challenging, but our team of experts, in collaboration with Monkey World and her keepers in Kenya, took every possible measure to ensure her journey was safe and enjoyable.
“It is a real pleasure for everyone at DHL when we can use our skills and network to contribute to projects like this.”
Dr Alison Cronin MBE, Director of Monkey World, said: “We are delighted to welcome Chocolat. Our aim is to provide a nurturing environment for chimpanzees and other primates and to give back some of what humans have taken from them by offering them a family again.
“Living in family groups in the most natural environment possible is the best rehabilitation we can offer chimpanzees like Chocolat. Her integration will be gradual, but thanks to DHL’s support, her path has been very smooth and so far she has settled in well.”
